'The Following' season 4 renewal hopes; Fans want show to get picked up by a streaming service

(FACEBOOK / FOX)Ryan Hardy

The third season of "The Following" is in the books, and apparently, so is the show. The two-hour series finale, which aired on May 18, signaled the end of the crime drama after three seasons. Fox had announced the show's cancelation earlier this month.

The series had started on a strong note back in January 2013 with 10 million viewers, according to TVLine. Viewership steadily decreased as the show progressed and amounted to barely three million during season three to make it the lowest-rated non-CW program on Monday night.

The show's cancellation did not stop the series from delivering an explosive finale. The action-packed, two-hour episode entitled "The Reckoning," Ryan (Kevin Bacon) saw his final confrontation with Theo (Michael Ealy), ending with both of them falling over the waterfall. While Theo's status is unknown, Ryan, having survived the fall, fakes his death in order to protect Gwen (Zuleikha Robinson) and his unborn child. Now a rogue agent, Ryan goes after Eliza and her organization of serial killers.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Alexi Hawley revealed plans for season four. Hawley spoke about Eliza's organization and how Ryan would fight them in the shadows, which would determine the direction they were looking at for season four. "The idea that people with almost unlimited resources could actually protect themselves and their evil proclivities would've been an interesting direction to take the show." Hawley said. "Ultimately, that's why Ryan realized that he had to fake his own death. People with those kind of resources who can corrupt FBI agents like Lisa Campbell, who have money to buy off anybody, would've changed the show in a really interesting way." Hawley also revealed that Mike (Shawn Ashmore) and Max (Jessica Stroup) will help raise Gwen's baby together.

While the show's abrupt end left viewers with mixed feelings, fans of the show are hoping that a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu picks up the series up and continues with season four.

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